중학교 영어 2 (천재교과서 소영순) 연계 글

Lava is melted rock that pours out of a volcano. When it cools, it turns into solid rock, sometimes in surprising shapes. This guide introduces two natural wonders that lava shaped.

The first wonder is Manjanggul, a lava tube on Jeju Island. This cave runs more than seven kilometers under the ground. Long ago, lava from a volcanic cone called Geomunoreum flowed toward the sea. The surface of the lava cooled into a hard roof, but the melted rock below it kept flowing. When no more lava came, the melted rock inside flowed out and left an empty cave.

Today, visitors may enter only a section about one kilometer long. A walkway lets visitors walk safely over the rough floor. The lava column at the end of this section, more than seven meters tall, is one of the largest in the world. The air inside stays cool even in summer. The cool air makes many visitors put on jackets. It is hard to imagine that a river of hot lava once ran through this quiet tunnel.

The second wonder, the Giant's Causeway, lies on the north coast of Northern Ireland. It is made up of about 40,000 columns of a dark rock called basalt. About 60 million years ago, thick layers of lava covered the land there. As the lava cooled, it shrank, and deep cracks split it into columns. About half of them have six sides.

Footpaths let visitors view the coast from the cliffs and examine the stones up close. The tops of the stones fit together like floor tiles. It is easy to see why the place inspired stories about giants. An old legend says that a giant built the causeway as a road across the sea to Scotland. Scientists, however, know that cooling lava shaped these stones.

Both wonders began as flowing lava, and both are now part of UNESCO World Heritage sites.